Avoca West News

School Starts Wednesday for 1st-5th grades

• Doors Open for students to enter (First Bell): 8:15 am.
• Instruction Begins at 8:25 am. Please be sure your student is on time -- ENTERING by 8:20 am.

Lunch is Served! If your student will be purchasing school lunch, be sure that money is deposited in their account. See email sent last week regarding food service for more details.

Avoca's Heat Plan will not be a factor this week, but please take a look at the extreme heat policy lined below. Because Avoca West does NOT have air conditioning, it is important that caregivers to understand the plan as it will impact your student and family. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REVIEW THE EXTREME HEAT POLICY as it includes possible actions such as:

• Later start
• Dismiss after 5 hours
• Utilize an emergency day
• Utilize an interrupted instruction day (can dismiss after 1 hour)
• Use of an E-Learning day (as long as devices have been distributed)

The extreme heat policy also outlines how and when these decisions will be made.

It is our expectation that caregivers will SHARE this information with all adults who will drop off of pick up our students during the school year. Thank you for your help!

1. Drivers must remain inside their cars and watching for staff directions to keep the line moving. Teach your student how to unbuckle their own seatbelt and talk with your student about when to unbuckle themselves. Staff will be at the back drop off to help with opening doors and assisting your student out of the car.
2. Maintain a slow speed (5 MPH) while in the driveway and drop off.
3. Cell phones should NOT be used while children are present.
4. Drivers should wait their turn in the car line and should not drive around other cars unless prompted by Avoca West staff. Please be courteous and patient with our staff, other caregivers, and our students.
5. If you need to visit the front office, or get out of the car to help your student with an instrument or to walk them to the door, please park in a designated parking spot.
6. Supervision begins at 8:10 with doors opening at 8:15. Please do not drop your student off before supervision begins. This includes playing on the playground before school (without supervision).
7. Follow all traffic signs, including the STOP sign (at the crosswalk) and the YEILD sign for those leaving the front parking lot. Cars leaving the front lot do not have a stop sign or a yield sign.
8. Dogs are not permitted on school sidewalks/grounds during drop-off or pick-up time. Adults waiting with dogs should remain on the public sidewalk and away from the immediate school grounds.
9. Use the crosswalk when walking or riding to school -- students and adults.
10. As much as possible, please maintain a consistent dismissal schedule for your student to avoid confusion at the end of the day. Be sure to contact your student's teacher AND the office (awoffice@avoca37.org) of any changes in dismissal by 2:30 to be sure that we're able to communicate those changes.

Thank you for your help in making sure our students and community have a positive and safe start to their day!

In order to make sure our students get to and from school each day safely, the following CHAMPS expectations have been set for the bus. All expectations are written positively and prioritize allowing the drivers to keep their focus on the road and any communication through the bus radio. In a perfect world, the bus ride is a boring, uneventful one for all! Although our students would prefer to have the time to have fun and connect with their friends, our drivers have ~30 children in their backseat and are responsible for their safety.

• Students will have assigned seats on all afternoon bus routes. Many buses will also keep assigned seats for the ride to school, as it provides greater structure for our students. This also allows our drivers to quickly respond to any student needs that arise.
• Students must ride home on their own bus and get off at their home. Students will not be permitted to ride a different bus (or a bus with a friend) .
• Food, drink, and other personal items must remain in backpacks for the duration of the ride. If your student wants to bring a ball to school to use at recess, it must be secured away in their backpack. This protocol is in place for the safety of the driver and students and is established by the State.
• Large instruments are not permitted on the bus, per State safety protocol. Your student is responsible for getting on the bus with their instrument independently and must be able to keep the instrument on their lap. There is not space for an instrument to sit on the seat -- student bodies come first. If your student plays the cello (or other large instrument), please plan to drop it off and pick it up at AW in the foyer. Foyer is open by 6:45am and remains open until late in the evening.

I will work closely with our bus drivers to make sure that I can support any needs that arise throughout the year. Avoca's drivers have bus write ups (reports) to use in case of unexpected student behavior. Please review the above expectations with your student and the CHAMPS poster below (also displayed on the bus) so that everyone is on the same page. Although we aim for everyone to be happy on the bus, a structured, safe, and uneventful ride is the ultimate goal!

Please be sure that you report your student as being absent ANYTIME they will be out. As a public school, we are required to have each student accounted for within an hour of school starting. If we do not hear from you and cannot get a hold of a parent/guardian, Nurse Green and the office staff will begin working through emergency contacts until we have confirmation that each student is safe. Thanks for your help!

Wednesday, August 21st -- Welcome 1st-5th Graders! No kindergarten students yet!

Monday, August 26th -- Kindergarten Starts!

Thursday, August 29th -- Avoca West Curriculum Night (see above for specific times. Adults only, please!)

Monday, September 2nd -- No School - Labor Day

Monday, September 16th -- 📸 Picture Day!

For future dates, see the Avoca West and District calendars on our website!

Please feel free to reach out to ask any of our office staff for help!

Website: http://avoca37.org/avocawest/
Location: 235 Beech Drive, Glenview, IL, United States
Phone: 847-724-6800
Twitter: @AvocaWest37